Personal Sampling Belt

ABSTRACT

Implementations described and claimed herein provide an industrial hygiene sampling system including a personal sampling belt and one or more sampling pouches. In one implementation, a belt body has an inner surface and an outer surface extending between a body proximal edge and a body distal edge. The inner surface is adapted to contact a body of the user. A first strap extends from the belt body to a receiving portion. A second strap extends from the belt body to a projecting portion. The receiving portion is adapted to receive and releasably engage the projecting portion to form a releasable buckle. One or more engaging strips is disposed on the outer surface of the belt body. The one or more engaging strips is adapted to releasably engage one or more sampling pouches, each having a pouch body defining an interior adapted to hold an industrial hygiene sampling device.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to personal sampling belts andmore particularly to personal sampling belts for industrial hygienesampling.

BACKGROUND

Industrial hygiene, also known as occupational hygiene, involves theanticipation, recognition, evaluation, control and prevention of hazardsfrom work activities that may result in injury, illness, or otherwiseaffect the well being of workers. Industrial hygiene is thus bothpreventative and occupational in nature, being that the focus is onpreventing industrial disease, through risk management, exposureassessment, and industrial safety. An industrial hygienist may use oneor more sampling devices, including meters, probes, analyzers, and thelike, for testing workplace exposure and the surrounding community forhazards. Each sampling device is typically designed to measure aspecific type of contaminant, including without limitation, noise,vibration, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, dust and otherparticulates, solvents, toxic gases and metals, heat stress, and thelike. Conventional systems for deploying such sampling devices in a workenvironment may hinder work or otherwise be bothersome to workers whileperforming their work activities. Further, many conventional systems arelimited to obtaining one sample at a time. It is with these observationsin mind, among others, that various aspects of the present disclosurewere conceived and developed.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Implementations described and claimed herein address the foregoingproblems, among others, by providing a industrial hygiene samplingsystem. In one implementation, a belt body has an inner surface and anouter surface extending between a body proximal edge and a body distaledge. The inner surface is adapted to contact a body of the user. Afirst strap extends from the belt body to a first end, and the firststrap has a first proximal edge and a first distal edge. A second strapextends from the belt body to a second end. The second strap has asecond proximal edge and a second distal edge. A receiving portion isconnected to the first strap at the first end, and a projecting portionis connected to the second strap at the second end. The receivingportion is adapted to receive and releasably engage the projectingportion to form a releasable buckle. One or more engaging strips isdisposed on the outer surface of the belt body. The one or more engagingstrips is adapted to releasably engage one or more sampling pouches.Each of the one or more sampling pouches has a pouch body defining aninterior adapted to hold an industrial hygiene sampling device.

In another implementation, a belt has an inner surface and an outersurface extending between a proximal edge and a distal edge. The innersurface is adapted to contact a body of the user. The belt tapers inwidth distally toward a first end from the proximal edge to a firststrap edge and tapers in width distally toward a second end from theproximal edge to a second strap edge. A receiving portion is connectedto the belt at the first end, and a projecting portion connected to thebelt at the second end. The receiving portion is adapted to receive andreleasably engage the projecting portion to form a releasable buckle.One or more engaging strips is disposed on the outer surface. The one ormore engaging strips is adapted to releasably engage one or moresampling pouches. Each of the one or more sampling pouches has a pouchbody defining an interior adapted to hold an industrial hygiene samplingdevice.

In still another implementation, a pouch body defines an interioradapted to hold an industrial hygiene sampling device. The pouch bodyhas a back surface and a front surface. A flap is adapted to removablycover an opening into the interior of the pouch body. A port providesaccess from the interior. The port is adapted to permit at least aportion of the industrial hygiene sampling device to pass therethrough.One or more engaging strips is disposed on the back surface of the pouchbody adapted to releasably engage one or more corresponding stripsdisposed on a outer surface of a belt.

Other implementations are also described and recited herein. Further,while multiple implementations are disclosed, still otherimplementations of the presently disclosed technology will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription, which shows and describes illustrative implementations ofthe presently disclosed technology. As will be realized, the presentlydisclosed technology is capable of modifications in various aspects, allwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the presently disclosedtechnology. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to beregarded as illustrative in nature and not limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a back view of an example personal sampling belt worn by auser.

FIG. 2 is a back view of the personal sampling belt of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the personal sampling belt of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a detailed front view of a buckle of the personal samplingbelt of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a proximal view of the personal sampling belt of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the personal sampling belt of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the personal sampling belt of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example industrial hygiene sampling system,including the personal sampling belt of FIG. 1 and sampling pouches.

FIG. 9 shows the industrial hygiene sampling system of FIG. 8 with thesampling pouches secured to the personal sampling belt.

FIGS. 10, 11A, and 11B depict a back view, a front view, and a sideview, respectively of a user wearing the industrial hygiene samplingsystem of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems for industrial hygienesampling for a user. In one aspect, a industrial hygiene sampling systemincludes a personal sampling belt and one or more sampling pouches forholding industrial hygiene sampling devices for measuring contaminantsin a work setting, such as industrial or research. The belt includes oneor more engaging strips to removably secure the sampling pouches andevenly distribute the weight of the sampling devices. The belt is madefrom an elastomer, such as neoprene, which hugs the wearer to furtherdistribute the weight of the sampling devices comfortably. The one ormore engaging strips are disposed on an outer surface of a back side ofthe belt, ensuring that the sampling pouches do not hinder the workactivity of the user. The sample pouches may be interchanged dependingon the measurements needed in the work setting. Stated differently, eachof the sampling pouches may be adapted for one or more particularsampling devices, and depending on what measurements are needed, thesampling pouches corresponding to the sampling devices for thosemeasurements may be removably engaged to the belt. The industrialhygiene sampling system thus permits multiple selected measurements tobe taken in the work setting simultaneously. For example, the industrialhygiene sampling system may include three pouches for holding ahigh-flow industrial hygiene pump, a low-flow industrial hygiene pump,and a personal noise dosimeter. The sampling pouches may each include aport adapted to permit at least a portion of the sampling device, suchas a cable, tube, and/or microphone to pass therethrough.

The various systems disclosed herein generally provide for personalsampling. The example implementations discussed herein referenceindustrial hygiene. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled inthe art that the presently disclosed technology is applicable to otherindustries and personal sampling belts.

To begin a detailed description of an example industrial hygienesampling system 100 for a user 50, reference is made to FIG. 1. In oneimplementation, the industrial hygiene sampling system 100 includes apersonal sampling belt 102 extending between a proximal end 104 and adistal end 106. It will be appreciated that the belt 102 may be worn invarious orientations, for example with the proximal end 104 facingupwards towards the head of the user 50 or downwards towards the feet ofthe user 50. As shown in FIG. 1, in one implementation, a back side ofthe belt 102 is positioned on the lower waist of the user 50, such thatone or more engaging strips (e.g., proximal engaging strip 108 anddistal engaging strip 110) are positioned at the lower waist of the user50 facing outwardly from the user 50. It will be appreciated that thispositioning of the belt 102 is exemplary only, and the belt 102 may bepositioned on the body of the user 50 in various locations that preventinterference with the work activity or other movement or comfort of theuser 50.

Referring to FIGS. 2-7, in one implementation, the belt 102 includes anouter surface 112 and an inner surface 114 adapted to contact the bodyof the user 50. The belt 102 may be made from a variety of materials,including without limitation, an elastomer, such as neoprene, or otherflexible materials adapted to hug the body the user 50. In oneimplementation, the belt 102 includes a belt body 116, a first strap 118and a second strap 120. The belt body 116, the first strap 118, and thesecond strap 120 may each be separate or they may be integral with eachother to form the belt 102. Stated differently, the belt body 116, thefirst strap 118, and the second strap 120 may be separate piecesconnected to each other or they may be one piece.

In one implementation, the belt 102 has width from a proximal edge atthe proximal end 104 to a distal edge at the distal end 106. The beltbody 116 thus includes a body proximal edge at the proximal end 104 anda body distal edge at the distal end 106. Similarly, the first strap 118has a first proximal edge and a first distal edge, and the second strap120 has a second proximal edge and a second distal edge. In oneimplementation, the belt 102 includes a first tapering section 122 and asecond tapering section 124 that taper a width of the belt 102 along acurve from the proximal edge to the first strap 118 toward a first end126 and to the second strap 120 toward a second end 128, respectively.Thus, the belt 102 tapers in width distally toward the first end 126from the proximal edge of the belt body 116 to the first proximal edgeof the first strap 118 and tapers in width distally toward the secondend 128 from the proximal edge of the belt body 116 to the proximal edgeof the second strap 120. In one implementation, the distal edge of thebelt body 116, the distal edge of the first strap 118, and the distaledge of the second strap 120 form a coextensive distal edge extendingfrom the first end 126 to the second end 128.

In one implementation, a receiving portion 132 is connected to the firststrap 118 at the first end 126, and a projecting portion 142 isconnected to the second strap 120 at the second end 128 to form a buckle144. The receiving portion 132 may be a female portion of the buckle 144with a hollow body having at least one locking slot. In this case, theprojecting portion 128 is a male portion of the buckle 144 with at leastone leg extending from a surface and adapted to releasably engage thelocking slot of the receiving portion 132. It will be appreciated thatother buckles and securing features are contemplated.

The belt 102 may include a first adjustment strap 130 extending througha first adjustment buckle 136 and a second adjustment strap 138extending through a second adjustment buckle 140. In one implementation,the first adjustment strap 130 extends from the first strap 118 andloops through the receiving portion 132 and extends through the firstadjustment buckle 136, and the second adjustment strap 138 extends fromthe second strap 120 and loops through the projecting portion 142 andextends through the second adjustment buckle 140. The first adjustmentstrap 130 and/or the second adjustment strap 138 may be used to adjust atightness of the belt 102.

Turning to FIGS. 8-9, the one or more engaging strips, for example theproximal engaging strip 108 and the distal engaging strip 110, aredisposed on the outer surface 112 and adapted to releasably engage oneor more sampling pouches (e.g., 146, 148, and 150). In oneimplementation, the engaging strips 108 and 110 and one or more pouchengaging strips on the sampling pouches 146, 148 and 150 include pairedhook and loop fasteners (e.g., Velcro®). Each of the sampling pouches146, 148, and 150 may include a pouch body 152 having a front surfaceand a back surface and defining an interior adapted to hold anindustrial hygiene sampling device. The one or more engaging strips onthe sampling pouches 146, 148, and 150 may be disposed on the backsurface. In one implementation, the sampling pouches 146, 148, and 150include a flap 158 adapted to removably cover an opening into theinterior of the pouch body 152. The flap 158 may extend from the backsurface of the pouch body 152 and include a first flap engaging strip158 adapted to releasably engage a second flap engaging strip 156disposed on the front surface of the pouch body 152. The first flapengaging strip 158 and the second flap engaging strip 156 may be pairedhook and loop fasteners.

The sample pouches 146, 148, and 150 may be added, removed, and/orinterchanged depending on the measurements needed in the work settingfor the user 50. Stated differently, each of the sampling pouches 146,148, and 150 may be adapted for one or more particular sampling devices,and depending on what measurements are needed, the sampling pouches 146,148, and 150 corresponding to the sampling devices for thosemeasurements may be removably engaged to the engaging strips 108 and 110of the belt 102. For example, the sampling pouch 146 may be adapted tohold a personal noise dosimeter 164, the sampling pouch 148 may beadapted to hold a low-flow industrial hygiene pump 162, and the samplingpouch 150 may be adapted to hold a high-flow industrial hygiene pump(shown in the interior of the sampling pouch 150). It will beappreciated that the sample pouches 146, 148, and 150 may be adapted tohold other types of sampling devices, such as meters, probes, analyzers,configured to measure a specific type of contaminant, including withoutlimitation, noise, vibration, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, dustand other particulates, solvents, toxic gases and metals, heat stress,and the like. The industrial hygiene sampling system 100 thus permitsmultiple selected measurements to be taken in the work setting for theuser 50 simultaneously.

The sampling pouches 146, 148, and 150 may each include a port 160adapted to permit at least a portion of the sampling device, such as acable 168 or tube 166 to pass therethrough. For example, the port 160 ofthe sampling pouch 146 may permit the cable 164 of the personal noisedosimeter 164 to pass through, thereby deploying a microphone connectedto the cable 164 of the personal noise dosimeter 164 for contaminantmeasurement. Similarly, the port 160 of the sampling pouches 148 and 150may permit the tubes 166 of the industrial hygiene pumps to pass throughfor contaminant measurement. The port 160 may be disposed anywhere onthe sampling pouches 146, 148, and 150. For example, the port 160 may bedisposed on the flap 158. Further, the sampling pouches 146, 148, and150 may include additional ports for accommodating other portions of thesampling device. The sampling pouches 146, 148, and 150 may includeadditional features facilitating contaminant measurement. For example,sampling pouches 146, 148, and 150 may include a transparent windowpermitting transmission of an infrared signal.

As can be understood from FIGS. 10-11B, the belt 102 is adapted toremovably secure one or more of the sampling pouches 146, 148, and 150and evenly distribute the weight of the corresponding sampling devicesand ensure that the sampling pouches 146, 148, and 150 do not hinder thework activity of the user 50. The industrial hygiene sampling system 100thus permits multiple selected measurements to be taken in the worksetting for the user 50 simultaneously, comfortably, and out of the way.

The belt 102 and the sampling pouches 146, 148, and 150 may have variousdimensions based on the selected measurements to be taken. For example,the belt 102 may be approximately forty inches long from the first end126 to the second end 128. The belt body 116 may be approximately eleveninches long and six inches wide from the proximal edge to the distaledge. The first strap 118 and the second strap 120 may each beapproximately 1.5 inches wide. The proximal engaging strip 108 and thedistal engaging strip 110 may each be two inch strips, with the pouchengaging strips of the pouch body 152 also being two inch strips.

In one implementation, the eleven inch length of the belt body 116accommodates one large sampling pouch (e.g., the sampling pouch 150) andtwo small sampling pouches (e.g., the sampling pouches 146 and 148). Thelarge sampling pouch 150 may be adapted to hold the high-flow industrialhygiene pump, the first small sampling pouch 148 may be adapted to holdthe low-flow industrial hygiene pump 162, and the second small samplingpouch 146 may be adapted to hold the personal noise dosimeter 164. Thepouch body 152 of the large sampling pouch 150 may be approximately fiveinches in long, 4.5 inches in width, and 2.5 inches in depth. The pouchbody 152 of the small sampling pouches 146 ad 148 may be approximatelythree inches in long, 4.5 inches in width, and 2.5 inches in depth. Theflap 154 may be approximate four inches, with the first flap engagingstrip 158 and the second flap engaging strip 156 each beingapproximately one inch strips. The port 160 may be approximately 0.5inches in diameter. It will be appreciated that these dimensions areexemplary only and not intended to be limiting.

It is believed that the present disclosure and many of its attendantadvantages will be understood by the foregoing description, and it willbe apparent that various changes may be made in the form, constructionand arrangement of the components without departing from the disclosedsubject matter or without sacrificing all of its material advantages.The form described is merely explanatory, and it is the intention of thefollowing claims to encompass and include such changes.

While the present disclosure has been described with reference tovarious implementations, it will be understood that theseimplementations are illustrative and that the scope of the disclosure isnot limited to them. Many variations, modifications, additions, andimprovements are possible. More generally, implementations in accordancewith the present disclosure have been described in the context ofparticular examples. Functionality may be separated or combined inblocks differently in various implementations of the disclosure ordescribed with different terminology. These and other variations,modifications, additions, and improvements may fall within the scope ofthe disclosure as defined in the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A personal industrial hygiene sampling system fora user comprising: a belt body having an inner surface and an outersurface extending between a body proximal edge and a body distal edge,the inner surface adapted to contact a body of the user; a first strapextending from the belt body to a first end, the first strap having afirst proximal edge and a first distal edge; a second strap extendingfrom the belt body to a second end, the second strap having a secondproximal edge and a second distal edge; a receiving portion connected tothe first strap at the first end; a projecting portion connected to thesecond strap at the second end, the receiving portion adapted to receiveand releasably engage the projecting portion to form a releasablebuckle; and one or more engaging strips disposed on the outer surface ofthe belt body, the one or more engaging strips adapted to releasablyengage one or more sampling pouches, each of the one or more samplingpouches having a pouch body defining an interior adapted to hold anindustrial hygiene sampling device.
 2. The personal industrial hygienesampling system of claim 1, wherein the belt body, the first strap, andthe second strap are each made from an elastomer adapted to hug the bodyof the user.
 3. The personal industrial hygiene sampling system of claim2, wherein the elastomer is neoprene.
 4. The personal industrial hygienesampling system of claim 1, wherein the one or more engaging strips andone or more pouch engaging strips on the one or more sampling pouchesinclude paired hook and loop fasteners.
 5. The personal industrialhygiene sampling system of claim 1, wherein the one or more engagingstrips includes a distal engaging strip and a proximal engaging strip.6. The personal industrial hygiene sampling system of claim 1, whereineach of the one or more sampling pouches includes a flap adapted tocover an opening into the interior of the pouch body and a port.
 7. Thepersonal industrial hygiene sampling system of claim 6, wherein the portis adapted to permit a cable for the industrial hygiene sampling deviceto pass therethrough.
 8. The personal industrial hygiene sampling systemof claim 6, wherein the port is adapted to permit a tube for theindustrial hygiene sampling device to pass therethrough.
 9. The personalindustrial hygiene sampling system of claim 1, wherein at least one ofthe one or more sampling pouches includes a transparent window.
 10. Thepersonal industrial hygiene sampling system of claim 1, wherein the bodydistal edge, the first distal edge, and the second distal edge form acoextensive distal edge extending from the first end to the second end.11. The personal industrial hygiene sampling system of claim 1, whereinthe body proximal edge curves distally to the first proximal edge on afirst side of the belt body and the body proximal edge curves distallyto the second proximal edge on a second side of the belt body.
 12. Thepersonal industrial hygiene sampling system of claim 1, wherein the beltbody is integral with the first strap and the second strap to form abelt.
 13. A personal industrial hygiene sampling system for a usercomprising: a belt having an inner surface and an outer surfaceextending between a proximal edge and a distal edge, the inner surfaceadapted to contact a body of the user, the belt tapering in widthdistally toward a first end from the proximal edge to a first strap edgeand tapering in width distally toward a second end from the proximaledge to a second strap edge; a receiving portion connected to the beltat the first end; a projecting portion connected to the belt at thesecond end, the receiving portion adapted to receive and releasablyengage the projecting portion to form a releasable buckle; one or moreengaging strips disposed on the outer surface, the one or more engagingstrips adapted to releasably engage one or more sampling pouches, eachof the one or more sampling pouches having a pouch body defining aninterior adapted to hold an industrial hygiene sampling device.
 14. Thepersonal industrial hygiene sampling system of claim 13, wherein thebelt is made from neoprene.
 15. The personal industrial hygiene samplingsystem of claim 13, wherein the one or more engaging strips and one ormore pouch engaging strips on the one or more sampling pouches includepaired hook and loop fasteners.
 16. The personal industrial hygienesampling system of claim 13, wherein the one or more engaging stripsincludes a distal engaging strip and a proximal engaging strip.
 17. Apersonal industrial hygiene sampling system for a user comprising: apouch body defining an interior adapted to hold an industrial hygienesampling device, the pouch body having a back surface and a frontsurface; a flap adapted to removably cover an opening into the interiorof the pouch body; a port providing access from the interior, the portadapted to permit at least a portion of the industrial hygiene samplingdevice to pass therethrough; and one or more pouch engaging stripsdisposed on the back surface of the pouch body adapted to releasablyengage one or more corresponding strips disposed on a outer surface of abelt.
 18. The personal industrial hygiene sampling system of claim 17,wherein the port is disposed on the flap.
 19. The personal industrialhygiene sampling system of claim 17, wherein the portion of theindustrial hygiene sampling device includes a cable or a tube.
 20. Thepersonal industrial hygiene sampling system of claim 17, wherein thebelt has an inner surface disposed opposite the outer surface, the innersurface and the outer surface extending between a proximal edge and adistal edge, the inner surface adapted to contact a body of the user,the belt tapering in width distally toward a receiving portion from theproximal edge to a first strap edge and tapering in width distallytoward a projecting portion from the proximal edge to a second strapedge, the receiving portion adapted to receive and releasably engage theprojecting portion to form a releasable buckle.